Wilmot stays unbeaten at 5-0
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
When Wilmot Union High School entered its Southern Lakes Conference match against visiting Union Grove Sept. 16, Broncos quarterback Matt Nelson posed as a dual threat for the Panthers, and was part of Wilmot coach Erick Kaiser’s game plan.
The game plan worked, as the Panthers forced Nelson into two interceptions, one to junior Robert Brent with David Faber taking the other to stay unbeaten at 5-0 following the 21-9 win.
Nelson, who produced two 100-yard rushing games, was held to 65 yards on the ground on 25 carries.
“Nelson is a great quarterback and presented multiple challenges,” Kaiser said. “He was a large part of our game planning and our guys were in a solid position to make a couple of plays on some throws that created takeaways for us.”
In addition to two interceptions, the Panthers kept the pressure on him, courtesy of four Zack Christopherson sacks.
Christopherson, Kaiser said, is one of the best defenders in the Southern Lakes Conference.
“Zack has been huge for us all year recording numbers to put him up with the best Linebackers in the conference,” Kaiser said.
As the Panthers applied defensive pressure, they continued to chip away on offense, using its read-option style.
Brent, who rushed for 157 yards on 16 carries, found an opening in the first quarter and exploded for a 54-yard score to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
“Robert is extremely athletic and he was able to find a few creases that led to some great plays,” Kaiser said.
After a Union Grove field goal in the second quarter, and a scoreless third, Wilmot junior quarterback A.J. Frisby widened the lead to 14-3 on a 60-yard rushing touchdown.
Frisby, who finished a team-leading 185 yards on 24 attempts, also completed three of eight passes for 58 yards.
One was to senior Jake Raiman for a 49-yard gain.
With less than five minutes left in regulation, Nelson responded, punching in a 1-yard sneak to diminish the Panthers’ lead to 14-9.
But, Frisby came back, adding a 1-yard touchdown run of his own with 1:41 left.
Following the Panthers’ win, they come into a first-place tie with Lake Geneva Badger at 3-0, which they play Sept. 23 on the road.
“Badger is a well coached team with disciplined players,” Kaiser said. “We’ll need to match their discipline and stick to our assignments.”